2148 Fifth Avenue, Troy
The house at 2148 Fifth Avenue, Troy, New York, was the home of Dr. Michael Keenan, my great grandfather. He was a medical doctor in Troy and raised four children in this home. I’m not sure when he moved to this address, but his first child with Rose Justine Mehan Keenan, Bill, was born in 1905. My grandmother, Rosamond Keenan, was born in 1909.
Dr. Michael Keenan died suddenly in 1931 at the age of 71. Soon after, his widow moved to her son’s home around the corner at 751 Jacob Street. That house was razed, presumably to put up the JFK Towers, the round high-rise that was built here in the 1960s.
Not many photos survive from this home. A few from the backyard and one from the front that was taken much later. I took a few around the house, but it is walled off, particularly in the back, and very overgrown.
The first two photos of the Keenan kids were taken in the yard outside the house. The third photo of Rosamond Keenan was taken from the roof of the house around 1921.
The modern photos don’t shed too much light on things. The front of the house remains the same (and looks beautifully restored). The back of the house is very overgrown and hidden from view.
I do wonder if the ivy that covers the back of the house is the same creeping plant seen in the old photos.
St. Peter’s Church
The Keenans were very involved in St. Peter’s Church in Troy. Just a block or two from this house, the church presided over many of the family milestones (baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals). My grandmother, Rosamond Keenan, graduated from the parish school across the street in the 1920s. Later, when Schuyler Beattie and his wife, Rosamond Keenan Beattie, moved to Troy, their daughter (my mother) attended this school for the last half of 2nd grade in 1949.
Not much to compare here—there are no photos of the church from the albums, except for this classroom photo of Rosamond Keenan’s. The details on this photo—the wall decorations and the looks on the student’s faces—are precious.
